Tassie: Part 3

Cradle Mountain and Montezuma Falls, two of my favourite places in Tassie. Plus the most BREATHTAKING Aussie sunset I’ve had the pleasure of watching so far.

Day 4

Today was the day I was most looking forward to from when I was looking at the posted itinerary for the tour. We were headed to Cradle Mountain National Park! It was a day of hiking, with a choose-your-own adventure vibe, which I really liked. Everyone in the group got their pick of track, to their desired degree of difficulty.

We got to see Wombats! This was my first time seeing the largest herbivorous marsupials (or something?) since I’ve arrived, and they were so cute! Not as cute as the echidnas, but still. The track my group selected went up to Crater Falls and Crater Lake, then down past Wombat Pool (with all the signs mysteriously graffitied to a more childish term) to Dove Lake. It was a challenging but worthwhile selection. I think I’m starting to overcome my prairie impediment as my ears only popped a couple times throughout the day.

After leaving Cradle Mountain, we headed to Strahan on the west coast of Tasmania. Our accommodations were a little more rustic here, but they were better than tenting! This side of the state receives as much as 400 cm of rain over 231 rainy days each year, but we didn’t get any! It was much cooler on the west coast than anywhere else we had visited, with overnight lows around 7*C. I know it doesn’t sound that cold, but when this country doesn’t do multi-pane windows, wall insulation, or heaters, you feel it! 

Today’s itinerary included a west coast Tassie sunset, and it was the most breathtaking Australian sunset I’ve seen. Maybe because I was further from the equator? I’ll let you decide:

Directly west of us was 10,000 km of ocean, terminating on the Argentinian coast. I took off my sandals and was wading in the Indian Ocean. It was cold, especially when I went from shin deep to thigh deep with one surprise wave!

Day 5

Today was another one I loved – we went for a long and shady walk to Montezuma Falls. The area here was historically used for logging, and the track we walked was an old tramway, so it was a nice, gentle grade and well-shaded because logging in the area stopped many years ago. Montezuma Falls are the largest single-span falls in Tasmania, clocking in at 104 m (about the height of a Mountain Ash eucalypt!). The trail came out super close to the falls, so it was hard to comprehend just how massive they were. Coming from the prairies, the quantity and quality of waterfalls in Tasmania absolutely blew me away. The Top End had plenty, but visiting in the dry season meant they weren’t quite as awe-inducing as the lush, temperate climate offered further south.

In the evening, we had the option to attend The Ship That Never Was, a theatrical production based on the true events that are part of Australia’s history. It told the story of several convicts’ escape and the subsequent court case that resulted in their freedom. It’s been running for decades, and did not disappoint!

That’s it for now! See you soon,

– Kate